When you get in your car, you put it in forward gear to drive forward. You don't put your gear shift in reverse and expect your car to move forward!
But that's how many folks market their services. In fact, most people market backwards.
Most folks create a service or product and then try to market it to people.
Wrong.
What a waste of time and money! The most effective way is to identify your niche market, find out their needs, create or find products/services that address their needs.
My Marketing Approach Is Not Unique
I recently posted to a discussion list to assist someone who said his business flopped. He didn't realize he was marketing backwards.
Another list member saw my post and responded:
"Joann's approach makes a lot more sense. It sounds similar to the one Michael Gerber talks about in the E-Myth Revisited. He talks about entrepreneurs scouring the marketplace for an unfulfilled need. Then they create a product or service to fill that need."
My marketing approach definitely is not unique. It's just more effective than what most people do.
3 Steps To Market Forward
1. Do your homework. That means: have you identified a niche market that could use your services?
Or are you focused on marketing services/products but you don't know who needs them??
Might sound like a silly question but people are constantly coming up with new ideas for products or services...but they haven't done any market research on them. Nada.
2. Establish relationships with people in your niche market.
Marketing is not selling. Marketing is not advertising. Marketing is not networking.
Here's my personal definition of marketing:
"Marketing is the process of attracting, creating, and maintaining relationships with people you want to be your clients."
So, if you have not established relationships with people in your niche market, stop trying to market.
3. Get Personal Clarity. Do you have 100% clarity on what is unique, attractive, and value-added about what YOU offer your niche market?
In other words, why would I choose you over others out there?
Answer for yourself the 3 questions above. Stop wasting your time and energy marketing but not getting the results you deserve. You'll find it's much easier to market forward rather than backward! More effective, too. :-)
About the Author
Joann Javons has a passion for helping others release their creative potential. She is the owner of http://www.peoplepoems.com and http://www.private-practice-marketing.com.